In Banana Plantations, Soldiers Bust Unions, Harass Workers

An international fact-finding mission says the military is being used by plantations in Southern Mindanao to harass and intimidate workers from forming or joining unions.

DAVAO CITY (davaotoday.com) � A fact-finding mission composed of delegates from several countries questioned on Friday the Philippine military�s participation in union-busting and intimidation of workers in plantations in Southern Mindanao.

The delegates, who completed on Friday a four-day fact-finding mission in a banana plantation in Compostela Valley province, said the military is being used by plantations to harass workers, particularly when the workers� union is engaged in campaigns to improve wages and work conditions.

�We�ve heard complaints by the workers about soldiers present during union negotiations,� said Holly Patterson, a delegate from Australia. At one point, she told reporters in a press conference on Friday, soldiers confiscated the original copy of the union�s collective bargaining agreement.

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3 Comments to “In Banana Plantations, Soldiers Bust Unions, Harass Workers”

1. » In Mindanao’s Banana Plantations, Soldiers Bust Unions, Harass Workers says:

   May 5, 2006 at 2:15 pm

   [...] Read the rest of this story                              [...]
2. Rachel says:

   September 26, 2007 at 1:51 am

   This is an outrage soldiers and the military do not have the right to Harass people in such a way. The plantations need do do better to fix this problem properly not be complete Pains about the whole issue.
3. rob graham says:

   September 26, 2007 at 1:59 am

   I Love 2 protest so lets all together join a protest.